Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hyalophora cecropia (Linnaeus, 1758) (cecropia moth)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: unknown
Series: unknown
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Base 12.0 cm across its widest points. If spread like a specimen, wingspan would come to approximately 13.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I don't know anything about this figure. It appears to be homemade art, but I could be wrong. I bought it on eBay a few years ago (and frankly had an aggressive bidding war to acquire it!). I contacted the seller after I won it and she didn't know its origins either (she bought it at an estate sale 'years ago' in Florida). Not entirely sure of its composition. Most of it appears to be PVC or some other plastic, except for the legs and antennae which are wire and the base which is actual driftwood. I also bought a wasp at the same time that was made by the same artist. The only figure of H. cecropia that I am aware of that was produced by a major manufacturer is the larva by Safari for the Smithsonian Insects collection in the 1990s. I have a third figure as well, made by forum member Jetoar for his Paleo-Creatures line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern North America
Habitat: Forests, open woodlands, early successionals, riparian areas
Diet: Larvae feed on a wide variety of plants; preferred and favored plants include Acer (maple and box elder), Sambucus (elderberry), Liquidambar (sweet gym), Alnus (alder), Betula (birch), Cornus (dogwood), Sassafras (sassafras), Tilia (basswood), Myrica (wax myrtle), Prunus (wild cherry). Adults do not feed.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated (NatureServe status is Secure)
Miscellaneous Notes: Because adult H. cecropia do not feed, they only live for about two weeks. As such, they have limited time for mating and oviposition. Females attract males with pheromones. Mated females lay eggs on the host plant, which hatch in about 10-14 days. The caterpillars feed throughout the summer and overwinter as pupae. Adult emerge in the spring and summer (March to August, depending on the climate). Hyalophora cecropia is univoltine, meaning there is only one generation a year.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758) (monarch)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Rainforest Cafe
Series: Jungle Bugs
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Wingspan spread comes to roughly 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the sixth time we have seen D. plexippus in the Museum. Today's figure came in a small bucket set that was sold in the gift shop at the Rainforest Cafe. Not sure when it was released, but I probably bought mine sometime between 1999 and 2005 at the restaurant in Tempe, Arizona. Most of the figures in the set were fairly generic, but there were a few that I retained that were identifiable at the species level.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, the Azores, Canary Islands, North Africa, Australia, Philippines, and South Pacific islands; rare stray to the United Kingdom
Habitat: Fields, forests, parks, gardens, disturbed areas
Diet: Larvae feed on milkweeds in the family Apocynaceae, most commonly members of the genus Asclepias; adults take nectar from a variety of flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated (NatureServe status is Apparently Secure)
Miscellaneous Notes: Populations of D. plexippus in northern North America are known for their long annual migrations to Florida, southern California, and Mexico in the late summer/fall.

EDIT: If the image below is uncropped, it's because I inadvertently uploaded the raw image initially. I've fixed it but the cookies may not have refreshed yet. Give it time, it'll look better LOL

[Gwangi]

My daughter has a little toy butterfly that looks like that but isn't a monarch. It's mostly yellow. I'll have to dig it out along with that stag beetle I talked about.

[bmathison1972]

My daughter has a little toy butterfly that looks like that but isn't a monarch. It's mostly yellow. I'll have to dig it out along with that stag beetle I talked about.

the designation of the monarch here is my own, but I think that is what it was influenced by (albeit highly stylized; not a surprise for a cheap bin set).

[Isidro]

Gwangi is talking about his butterfly, not yours. Yours is clearly made after a monarch (even if not very realistic), but his butterfly is only similar-looking to yours.

Besides that, HAPPY BIRTHDAY my dear friend I hope you have a wonderful day and maybe receive some new figures you like!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Symphysodon aequifasciatus Pellegrin, 1904 (blue discus)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Furuta
Series: Chocoegg Pet Series 2
Year of Production: 2001
Size/Scale: Body length 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:3.3 (for wild type specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (unique as a sculpt, see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, assembly is required, and the fish is removable from its base. Furuta released two color forms of this species, this one and one in brown (brown discus).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America; Amazon River between Púrus Arch and the Meeting of Waters
Habitat: River channels, floodplains, flooded forests; usually in sheltered areas among rocks and roots where the water is warm
Diet: Zooplankton, freshwater invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Symphysodon aequifasciatus is very popular in aquaria. There is some uncertainty regarding the systematics of this and related fish. It is possible that S. aequifasciatus is a complex of three species: the brown discus (S. aequifasciatus), which occurs downwater from the Meeting of Waters, and two undescribed species representing the blue discus and the Xingu group, the latter of which occurs in the Xingu and Tocantins Rivers. Others have suggested that the correct name for the blue and brown discuss is S. haraldi, while S. aequifasciatus should be applied to the green discus (currently known as S. tarzoo), which occurs downriver from the Meeting of Waters. The matter is complicated by hybridization between the blue, brown, and Xingu populations. I have adopted a conservative approach here, following FishBase.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cambaroides japonicus (De Haan, 1841) (Japanese crayfish; Nihon zarigani)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: F-toys
Series: Creatures of the Waterside
Year of Production: 2008
Size/Scale: Body length 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The brown figure was part of the primary set; the blue figure was a 'secret/chase' variant. I have seven figures of this species, but they only represent four releases/sculpts, as three of the sculpts come in both brown and blue variants.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Hokkaidō and northern Tōhoku)
Habitat: cool, clean montane streams and lakes
Diet: detritus; primarily leaves and branches that fall into the water
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: Populations of C. japonicus are under threat from invasive crayfish, especially the North American species Procambrus clarkii and Pacifastacus leniusculus. In addition to predation of it eggs and competition for food by the invasive species, C. japonicus is also susceptible to Aphanomyces astaci, a pathogenic fungus of crayfish believed to have been introduced on invasive P. clarkii.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Saturnia pavonia (Linnaeus, 1758) (small emperor moth)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Souvenirs Entomologiques
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.0 cm in diameter. Male wingspan approximately 2.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.4. Female wingspan approximately 2.5 cm for a scale of 1:3 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in the Souvenirs Entomologiques feature species studied by famous French Entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. Today's figures simulate a method of capturing male moths by luring them with a pheromone-producing female moth. The figure shows a male moth on top of a mesh screen; the screen comes off revealing the female moth (see inset). Both figures are removable from their respective bases. The female moth is sculpted the same size as the male; ideally she should be a little bigger, but the two figures still scale alright together. The scales above as based on maximum-sized wingspans for each sex.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Palearctic
Habitat: Highly varied, including open woodlands, scrubland, hedges, grasslands, heathland, moorland, fens, bogs, railway embankments
Diet: Larvae feed on a wide variety of host plants; favored plants include Salvia (sage), Sanguisorba (burnet), Filipendula (meadowsweet), Prunus (blackthorn), Onobrychis (sainfoin), Crategus (hawthorn), Rubus (bramble), Salix (willow), Betula (birch), and Frangula (alder buckthorn). Adults do not feed.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Saturnia pavonia overwinters as a pupa. Adult typically fly in April and May. Females lay eggs in loose clutches on the branches of host plants. Larvae feed from about late May to early August. There is one generation per year.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Megahexura fulva (Chamberlin, 1919)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Club Earth
Series: Spiders to Go
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Legspan 7.5 cm. Body length (excluding appendages) 3.0 cm for a scale of 1.6:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed as a funnelweb spider; the species designation is my own as it appears to have been influenced by the illustration in the Golden Guide, Spiders and their Kin by Levi and Levi (I have the 1990 edition). Of the 12 figures in the Club Earth collection, 10 of them can be traced back to illustrations in that book.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Endemic to California, USA in the Sierra Nevada, Transverse, and California Coast mountain ranges
Habitat: Riparian habitats near streams and creeks
Diet: Arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had trouble researching information in this species. In 2019, the family Megahexuridae was created to accommodate this monotypic genus. Funnelweb spiders get their common name from the kinds of nets they construct. The spider creates a sheet-like web at the base of a tree or in crevices in rocks. The spider is usually hiding in a tube at the corner of the sheet, waiting to pounce on prey that gets entangled on the sheetweb.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dorcus hopei binodulosus Waterhouse, 1874

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Coca Cola
Series: unknown
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 5.0 cm, within scale 1:1 for a smaller male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen D. h. binodulosus in the Museum; it may be the third most commonly represented species in my collection (certainly top 5). I don't know much about this particular set. It was marketed and produced by Coca Cola, but I do not know who actually made the figures (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S., Bandai, and Sega are all possibilities). There are six species in the set that represent typical scarabaeoids made by Japanese companies, but they are relatively good quality. One side of the base has 'Coca Cola' and the other side has the Japanese name of the insect; the figures are safely removable from the base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan, Korean Peninsula
Habitat: Broadleaf forests
Diet: Larvae breed in rotting wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Compared to many scarabaeoid beetles, D. h. binodulosus has a long lifespan. Larvae live in their host substrate for about two years and adults live about three years, hibernating during the winter months. Hyperactive antifreeze proteins allow the beetle to survive in freezing temperatures.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Fratercula arctica (Linnaeus, 1758) (Atlantic puffin)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Marine Life
Year of Production: 2009
Size/Scale: Height 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: In my opinion, this is one of the three nicest standard-sized puffins, along with those by Safari Ltd. (2010) and CollectA (2020). Of those three, this is the only one that is sculpted free of a base (bases don't bother me but I know some collectors don't like them).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Atlantic
Habitat: Pelagic; breeding on rocky cliffs
Diet: Fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Fratercula arctica is monogamous. Males and females reunite during the breeding season after spending most of the year alone at sea. Nests occur on rocky cliffs, usually out of the way of potential predators. A single egg is laid in a burrow, which is either excavated by the birds or taken over after being dug by another animal (such as rabbits). Generally, the male spends more time guarding and maintaining the burrow, while the female spends more time incubating and feeding the egg/chick. The egg incubates for about 39-45 days and the chick fledges between 38-50 days, at which time it becomes independent. The young puffin won't return to the nesting site until it's ready to breed (roughly 3-6 years).

[bmathison1972]

So, this thread is the only one I cross post on ATF and STS (otherwise, my posts with pics are only on ATF). I do this to have the content in to places in case, well, one of the sites goes down ;-). I have still been posting daily on STS, so today on ATF you guys get a mega-post of 5 days worth of content, including what would have been today's.  Enjoy.


Date: April 9, 2022
Species: Chelonoidis chilensis (Gray, 1870) (Chaco tortoise; Argentine tortoise; Patagonian tortoise)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life - Tortoise Home
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Carapace length 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:6.25 (1:10.75 for a maximum-recorded specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The tortoise was not marketed at the species level. The identification is a community-based one based on size and shape, presence of four toes on the hind feet, and it being sold in a pet/zoo setting (C. chilensis is popular in the pet trade and in zoos). In addition to this adult figure, the Tortoise Home set came with three baby tortoises, half of a hollowed-out log, and food (head of lettuce). I only retained the adult for my collection.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America (Chaco and Monte ecoregions of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay)
Habitat: Subtropical dry forest, savanna, scrubland, plains, foothills
Diet: Grasses, leaves, fruit, cactus pads
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Chelonoidis chilensis becomes sexually mature at about 12 years old. Unlike their larger Galapagos cousins which can live for more than a century, the lifespan of the Chaco tortoise averages about 20 years.





Date: April 10, 2022
Species: Python brongersmai Stull, 1938 (blood python; Brongersma's short-tailed python)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Exotic Snakes
Year of Production: 1999
Size/Scale: Figure 7.5 cm across its widest points. Measured along midline, total body length 29.5 cm for a scale of 1:3-1:5 for a male or 1:4-1:6 for a female; upwards to 1:8 for a maximum-recorded specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Exotic Snakes collection by Play Visions includes eight figures, five of which are currently unique. Unfortunately they can be hard to find these days; I came across today's figure on eBay a few months ago.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesian archipelago)
Habitat: Tropical swamps, marshes, palm plantations
Diet: Small mammals and birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other pythons, P. brongersmai has a specialized structure called a glottis that allows the snake to breath even when ingesting prey that would otherwise block the upper respiratory tract. The glottis is a tube that runs from an openning at the bottom of the snake's mouth and connects to the trachea. It is normally closed except when inhaling. When taking in large prey, the python can shift its glottis to the side so the prey doesn't prevent it from openning and allows the snake to breath while eating.





Date: April 11, 2022
Species: Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (red swamp crayfish; Louisiana crayfish)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: Friends of the Water; New Friends of the Waterside
Years of Production: 2019; 2020
Size/Scale: Figure length 10.5 cm. Body length (excluding appendages) 7.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to common
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure on the upper left is from the Friends of the Water collection from 2019; the one on the lower right is from the follow-up collection New Friends of the Waterside from 2020. The two figures represent the same sculpt. Some assembly is required. The same sculpt was released again in the third 'Friends' collection (also in 2020) but I didn't pursue that one.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South-central United States and adjacent Mexico; introduced to and established in other areas of North America, Hawaii, Europe, Africa, Asia, Japan
Habitat: Slow-moving rivers, freshwater lakes, swamps, marshes, revervoirs, irrigation canals and ditches, rice paddies
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, small fish, fish eggs, carrion, plant material, detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Procambarus clarkii has become an ecological disaster in many of the places it has been introduced to. Its burrowing habits have damaged irrigation systems and rice paddies. It competes with native species for food and other resources and is predaceous on native fish and their eggs and fry. Also, P. clarkii carries the crayfish-pathogenic fungus Aphanomyces astaci, which has severely affected populations of European crayfish (Astacus astacus) and Japanese crayfish (Cambaroides japonicus).





Date: April 12, 2022
Species: Vorticella nebulifera Müller, 1786 (bell animalcule)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Ecology of Plankton
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Body 2.0 cm long for a scale of 500:1-222:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The figures in the Ecology of Plankton collection come in little jars suspended in a goo (see inset, minus the goo), as if to simulate biological specimens in a lab. I bought my set from forum member sbell, who had already removed the goo (which I probably would have done as well). The jars measure 3.7 cm tall and are 3.0 cm in diameter. Ideally the figure should possess a long stalk (see below), but at this size it would have been prone to breakage and wouldn't fit in the jar.

About the Organism:
Geographic distribution: Presumably worldwide
Habitat: Coastal marine waters, bays, estuaries; at depths of 0-1 meters
Diet: Bacteria, small protists
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Vorticella are sessile ciliated protozoans. The main part of the body (zooid) is a bell-shaped structure that contains a single macronucleus, a single micronucleus, contractile vacuoles, and food vacuoles. The broader end of the bell has a convex area known as a peristomal disc. On the disc is the peristome (oral groove) bordered by cilia that draw food into the gullet in a whirlpool manner. The bell attaches to a substrate in the environment by a long stalk. Running down the central canal of the stalk is a specialized myoneme called a spasmoneme, which is believed to assist the organism in attaching to the substrate.





Date: April 13, 2022
Species: Agraulis vanillae (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gulf fritillary)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Land & Sea Collectibles
Series: Nature Series
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 4.2 cm for a scale of 1:1.5-1:2.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Land & Sea Collectibles are resin (or some other non-PVC material) figurines that are designed primarily as accessories in the fairy garden hobby. The butterflies are not identified to the species level, and the identification here is my own. The figures I have seen to date all appear to be painted after actual species, although the ventral side is not realistic and merely painted the same as the dorsal side. Club Earth made the larva of this species for their Butterflies to Go collection.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern United States to South America, West Indies; introduced to and established in Hawaii
Habitat: Subtropical second growth forest, open woodlands, brushy fields, grasslands, parks, gardens, disturbed areas
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the genus Passiflora (passion flower); adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite its species epithet of vanillae, A. vanillae does not feed on vanilla. Linnaeus named it that based on a 1705 painting by Swiss scientific illustrator, Maria Sibylla Merian, in which the adult and larvae were depicted on a vanilla orchid, Vanilla planifolia. In 2019, the genus Agraulis was placed as a subgenus of Dione based on whole genome shotgun sequencing, but most authorities still recognize Agraulis as a valid genus.

[Gwangi]

A nice assortment. I particularly like the red swamp crayfish. I never would have guessed that that snake is a blood python. I have a pet blood python, that toy is an abysmal representation. 

[bmathison1972]

A nice assortment. I particularly like the red swamp crayfish. I never would have guessed that that snake is a blood python. I have a pet blood python, that toy is an abysmal representation.

Apparently blood python is highly variable and I have seen images online that look similar when researching on the animal (keep in mind, PV are somewhat stylized in their color). the only thing I am not too crazy about is that I feel it's too textured; wish it was smoother.

[Gwangi]

A nice assortment. I particularly like the red swamp crayfish. I never would have guessed that that snake is a blood python. I have a pet blood python, that toy is an abysmal representation.

Apparently blood python is highly variable and I have seen images online that look similar when researching on the animal (keep in mind, PV are somewhat stylized in their color). the only thing I am not too crazy about is that I feel it's too textured; wish it was smoother.

Definitely over-textured. Reminds me of a Mexican mole lizard. Doesn't look girthy enough to properly convey a blood python either. Thanks to selective breeding they come in a range of colors though. It's a PV toy so I'm definitely being overly critical but when I read "blood python" on your museum post I got excited, only to be let down when I saw the actual figure. It's a species that Kaiyodo or Yowie should definitely tackle at some point.

[bmathison1972]

A nice assortment. I particularly like the red swamp crayfish. I never would have guessed that that snake is a blood python. I have a pet blood python, that toy is an abysmal representation.

Apparently blood python is highly variable and I have seen images online that look similar when researching on the animal (keep in mind, PV are somewhat stylized in their color). the only thing I am not too crazy about is that I feel it's too textured; wish it was smoother.

Definitely over-textured. Reminds me of a Mexican mole lizard. Doesn't look girthy enough to properly convey a blood python either. Thanks to selective breeding they come in a range of colors though. It's a PV toy so I'm definitely being overly critical but when I read "blood python" on your museum post I got excited, only to be let down when I saw the actual figure. It's a species that Kaiyodo or Yowie should definitely tackle at some point.

As I prepared the post I was curious if you had kept them 

[Gwangi]

A nice assortment. I particularly like the red swamp crayfish. I never would have guessed that that snake is a blood python. I have a pet blood python, that toy is an abysmal representation.

Apparently blood python is highly variable and I have seen images online that look similar when researching on the animal (keep in mind, PV are somewhat stylized in their color). the only thing I am not too crazy about is that I feel it's too textured; wish it was smoother.

Definitely over-textured. Reminds me of a Mexican mole lizard. Doesn't look girthy enough to properly convey a blood python either. Thanks to selective breeding they come in a range of colors though. It's a PV toy so I'm definitely being overly critical but when I read "blood python" on your museum post I got excited, only to be let down when I saw the actual figure. It's a species that Kaiyodo or Yowie should definitely tackle at some point.

As I prepared the post I was curious if you had kept them 

I'm more into colubrids, and kingsnakes specifically, but I do have a blood python and a couple ball pythons. I love how short and fat the blood pythons are.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Astriclypeus mannii Verrill, 1867 (sand dollar)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Sand Dollars and Sea Urchins
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Figure 7.0 cm across its widest points, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in this collection represent the dried test of sand dollars and sea urchins, rather than the intact living animal. They were also sold as keychains or (as in today's figure) magnets. I suspect they were cast from actual specimens.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific
Habitat: Coastal, benthic; in sandy areas at depths of 0-40 meters
Diet: Detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Astriclypeus mannii and other sand dollars are adapted for living in sandy environments. They will burrow into the sand to escape predators, which are commonly fish such as cod, flounder, sheepshead, and haddock.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Platysternon megacephalum Gray, 1831 (big-headed turtle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 11
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Total figure length 9.0 cm. Carapace length 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:4.3-1:7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Choco Q figures, assembly is required. This was the secret/chase figure in Series 11 and can be hard to find and expensive when found. The only other figures of this species I am aware of are those cast from actual specimens by AAA, which were incorrectly marked as snapping turtles.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Cool, fast-moving mountain streams and brooks
Diet: Fish, mollusks, worms
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Platysternon megacephalum is not a good swimmer and is better adapted for clambering over rocks and roots along stream margins, and has been documented climbing into bushes and shrubs. It is a nocturnal predator, searching for potential prey along stream bottoms and edges and among low shrubs.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1771) (Japanese rhinoceros beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: 'Beetles on Wood'
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Base of long 2.5 cm. Body length (including cephalic horn) 3.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.5 for a major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the ninth time we've seen A. dichtotoma in the Museum! 'Beetles on Wood' is my designation for a set of very small Sega figures that depict the usual scarabaeoid beetles on logs. I don't know much about this set, including the official name of the set, when they came out, or how many figures are in it (I have 15 out of 16 known figures; the one I didn't retain is an anime version of A. dichotoma, which I believe serves as Sega's Mushi King mascot).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, including China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed on organic detritus in soil; adults are attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other large dynastines, A. dichotoma has marked sexual dimorphism. Males use their pronotal and cephalic horns to fight over females and to secure feeding sites.